Many women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) need to make decisions about marital name change, and have to consider how this might affect their publication record and future career. Mentorship that considers race, ethnicity, culture, religion and parenting, as well as a centralized system to dynamically and retroactively streamline name change, will promote agency and choice for women navigating STEM careers, writes Bala Chaudhary.
Women, whether in same-sex or heterosexual relationships, still predominantly make decisions regarding marital name change1. In science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields, as the proportion of female researchers rises, more women are considering the potential effects of marital name change on their careers. The stakes are high, as relationship status and name discrimination contribute to gender2 and racial3 inequities in faculty hiring. The shifting demographics of students and a greater proportion of STEM undergraduates engaging in research and publishing has also led to more scientists questioning decisions around name changes. Dual-scientist couples considering sharing a last name may wonder about gendered assessments of their contributions to work. Women occasionally ask for advice on this topic using social-media platforms such as Twitter. Community members chime in with myriad options: keep your name, change your name, hyphenate, add a middle name, couples choose a new name, keep separate personal and legal names, and so on. There is no single correct approach for this personal decision, so online discussions and testimonials4 are invaluable resources for women with few immediate role models.
Source: Ecology - nature.com
